


staycation

by brandywine421



Series: Unfinished AUs of Flail (aka fail) [22]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Episode: s01e08 The Defenders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 21:12:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17231291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: Murdock tapped his knuckles on the counter. "By the way, thanks for that saving the universe thing. Put a lot of stuff in perspective. It got Steve out of the suit and into therapy and cured my 'amnesia', so it worked out all around.""You're glad he hung up the shield?" Tony would have to figure out the amnesia joke at some point."I'm glad he's not dismantling governments and fighting aliens with God-powers as a career, yes," Matt muttered. "Heroes and vigilantes should be allowed to have a house and a dog eventually, right?""Allegedly, yes. You're not allowed to talk to my wife," Tony added.Matt smiled. "Your wife's the reason he has a dog, so you should be telling Steve not to talk to her."





	staycation

**Author's Note:**

> I think this is the last one that's complete enough to be rescued from the folder of unfinished stuff in 2018 _(that I don't plan on updating that is, I know how many WIPs I have, for shame.)_
> 
> *I really thought I had posted this already, but I can't find it over here.

 

 

"He's retired, we don't call him for simple jobs," Sam said, flipping through the file.

"I'll believe that when I see it," Tony replied without looking to his left. Sam raised an eyebrow without looking up. "Seriously?"

"He's shacking up with his bae in Wakanda," Natasha added.

Sam snorted. "And they say you're an intelligence specialist."

Tony wasn't sure what was going on but the levity of the briefing was a good sign considering the invitees. Barnes thrummed his metal fingers across the table and sighed dramatically. "We tell people we're dating to keep nosy matchmakers out of our business. T'Challa's sister is worse than you so I'd appreciate you keeping it to yourself."

"Sorry, sorry - there was a thing on - oh, hey," Peter skidded to a stop inside the room when he saw the gathered team.

"You called in the kid?" he questioned.

Sam shrugged. "Simple job, right? Kid's used to running solo so he needs training with a team."

"Time out. If he's not living in sin with you, where the fuck is he?" Natasha demanded from Bucky.

"Who are they talking about?" Peter whispered, sitting down beside Tony.

"Come on, guys, this is our first gig since the end of the world and my first turn as team lead so can we cut out the gossip so I don't totally disappoint Cap?" Sam asked, looking at each of them with a stern expression.

"You're his golden boy, you'd never disappoint him," Bucky said with a sneer that Sam deflected with a middle finger.

Tony had a moment of panic as the levity threatened to disappear, this totally wasn't going to work. Peter tilted his phone screen toward him with a smirk and he skimmed the screen.

> **Me** : briefing, not homework. on the job training?  
>  **Brklyn** : Nice! Are they bickering yet?  
>  **Me** : ya, is that normal?  
>  **Brklyn** : LOL. If they start getting along then you should be worried.

Tony smiled and clapped him on the back for the inadvertent reassurance.

> **Brklyn** : It's their way of dealing with nerves, means things are going well. If it gets out of hand, tell them puppies are involved.

"We'll deal with this later, what's on the table for today?" Natasha recaptured everyone's attention and took Sam's folder to study for herself and pretend like she wasn't plotting.

"He's not worried about disappointing Cap, he's worried about impressing Rhodes," Bucky said aside to Peter.

"That's it - Barnes, you're out of line - " Sam snapped.

"You're not inspiring a lot of confidence, guys, are you going to be able to pull this off if I leave the room?" Tony asked. He caught sight of Peter's phone again and caught on to his point.

> **Brklyn** : After-mission meal on the roof if your team promises to use the door  
>  and not upset the neighbors this time.

He wasn't on the starter squad anymore but he was definitely going to get the scoop on the MIA Captain's 'bae' before Natasha.

 

* * *

 

"We're having a fight," Steve admitted, sliding the fancy cup across the counter.

"Oh, cohabitation already not working out for you?" Tony asked, surprised at the confession. They were friends again but 'relationship talk' had never been part of their chats. Mainly because Tony hadn't considered that Steve had relationship stuff to talk about.

"He eats everything. If I wasn't sharing a bed with him, I'd be convinced he was a six-hundred pound man," a voice replied. The blind man that walked in seemed familiar but Tony couldn't place him. He maneuvered around the island and thumped Cap on the ass. "You moved my laundry."

"I put away your laundry, I followed the chart," Steve replied.

"You folded them wrong, I have to check the tag for the color mark and they have to be folded like a blind man not a soldier," the guy said.

"I fail at housewife, I know already," Steve sighed.

"Thank you for doing the laundry, but leave the folding to me. Now introduce me to Mr. Stark and go get your dog out of the neighbor's backyard."

"Tony, this is Matt Murdock. He's a lawyer in Hell's Kitchen," Steve said, glancing through the window with a hushed curse. "I should have gotten a cat," he added, hurrying out of the townhouse.

"Murdock. I guess rumors of your death were exaggerated?" Tony asked, shaking his hand.

"Amnesia's a helluva thing, but it worked out," Murdock replied. "You're still on my shitlist for running my boyfriend out of the country when I was dealing with all that so no storytime for you today."

_Ouch_.

"Bad dog, no biscuit, go think about what you did," Steve said, leading a totally not apologetic puppy into the kitchen.

Murdock was giving Tony a strange look. "I thought you had the thing removed," he tapped at his chest.

"I thought you were blind," Tony frowned. He was sure his nanobots were hidden under his suit.

"I can hear it. It sounds...busy. Like Peter's suit, just busier," Murdock replied.

"Matt knew Pete before I did," Steve admitted, placing a cup of coffee out for his boyfriend before settling down to sit.

"Still not sure about him being on a team, but at least he's got people watching his back," Matt murmured.

"Who are you?" Tony asked bluntly.

"Double D - I tried that swing kick you taught me and took out three guys without the Russians getting a chance to pull their guns!" Peter bounded into the house with a high five for Matt before greeting the dog with less enthusiasm. "Puppy, who's a good puppy?"

Double D meant - Daredevil, of fucking course.

"Did you leave webbing on our gutters today?" Steve asked.

"Nope, took the subway like a real boy. Hey, Tony," Peter greeted him.

"Kid. You been training with this guy on my dime?" Tony asked, grinning at the kid's startled expression.

"Um, you're not actually paying me, so technically no?"

Matt smoothed an invisible wrinkle out of his cuffs. "Science is good for a lot of things but sometimes he needs to know how to throw a punch."

"Or a kick," Peter amended.

"Right," Tony said. "Good call, especially if you showed up the assassin duo."

"We're doing debrief while we eat, right? 'Cause I told Aunt May I was eating here," Peter said.

"As long as she doesn't ogle Steve the whole time, she's welcome to come for dinner," Matt said.

"How do you even know she's ogling him?" Peter countered. "Gross and she's having book club or something with Ms. Potts." At least Tony wasn't going to get pinged for leaving her at home alone so soon after their last near-death experience.

"I'll go start the grill, let in our guests when they get here, will you?" Steve gave Matt an entirely too domestic kiss and headed back outside with the dog on his heels.

"Secret identities are a necessity for some of us so don't speak out of turn," Matt said.

"He's cool, Matt, he won't tell," Peter spoke up.

"Steve already vouched for him, I just have to hold up my reputation and threaten him anyway," Matt said to the kid.

"It's going to get fun when Sam and Bucky get here, isn't it?" Tony snorted.

"And the Widow. She's been trying to catch him for years," Peter said. "But I get to put him down on my Avenger's contact list and nobody else has Daredevil in their file."

"As long as you keep Stark written down for bail money, that's fine," Matt said, tilting his head slightly. "Did you give them the right address? I hear the Widow two blocks over."

"I'll get them," Peter offered, glancing at them warily before leaving them unattended.

Murdock tapped his knuckles on the counter. "By the way, thanks for that saving the universe thing. Put a lot of stuff in perspective. It got Steve out of the suit and into therapy and cured my amnesia, so it worked out all around."

"You're glad he hung up the shield?" Tony would have to figure out the amnesia joke at some point.

"I'm glad he's not dismantling governments and fighting aliens with God-powers as a career, yes," Matt muttered. "Heroes and vigilantes should be allowed to have a house and a dog eventually, right?"

"Allegedly, yes. You're not allowed to talk to my wife," Tony added.

Matt smiled. "Your wife's the reason he has a dog, so you should be telling Steve not to talk to her. I really wish he didn't have a dog."

 

* * *

 

"He hates my dog," Steve confided, watching Matt and Bucky circle each other across the roof. "I keep fucking up the blind stuff."

She felt no sympathy for the retired asshole when he was happy as shit.

"You hate me, don't you?"

"You have a goddamn roof garden *AND* a backyard, of course I fucking hate you," she replied. "How could you not tell me?"

Steve sighed. "It was complicated before. We both had shit going on so the casual thing worked. Now I don't have as much shit and he's still here so, why not?"

"You made me believe you were fucking Barnes all this time," she hissed.

"Not every problem in my life was about sex but you brought it up so much that it felt like it," Steve replied. It had always worked for all her other friends but Cap was designed different and she should have known better.

"He's a lawyer, how did you even meet him?" Natasha should be furious but she had to find the key to this critical error.

"I trust you, Nat, too much. I knew you'd dig up his history and it wasn't a good time for that. It's never going to be a good time for that. But I - I want to be a part of his life. I want him to be a part of mine," Steve said softly.

She crossed her arms. He was such an asshole. "How did you meet him?"

Steve sighed again and leaned his head against his bicep on the table. "You should see him fight. Hell, you have seen him fight. I have a lot of repressed 'stop ogling my boyfriend' scoldings saved up for you."

Natasha studied Murdock again. "You're not making me less angry, Rogers." What was she missing?

Steve tapped something into his phone and a few moments later, Peter's head appeared over the edge of the roof with a wicked grin. Natasha glared at Steve for breaking their moment but the burst of webbing flew toward Murdock who silently stepped aside so the impact hit Bucky square in the chest.

"We were having a nice time, Pete," Matt said dryly, ignoring Bucky's startled growl of surprise.

"But I got the pop quiz alert and Falcon said I aced the training," Peter replied, cartwheeling over to take a swing at the entirely too relaxed lawyer. Murdock ducked and had the newest Avenger breathless and on his back in three moves without spilling his beer.

She narrowed her eyes at Steve. "I'm even more pissed off that you found Daredevil before I did."

Steve leaned over. "He's even better in bed than you thought."

It had been too long since she allowed herself to flip a table. But he deserved it.

 

* * *

 

"I'll be home once the kid's back in his borough, Danny's on patrol tonight. Don't forget to bring up the thing we talked about," Matt added, kissing him for luck before he disappeared into the shadows.

"What's the thing?" Bucky asked from behind him.

"He hates the dog. I need someone to adopt him so I won't have to take him back to the orphanage," Steve sighed, leaning heavily against the wall.

"I think they call it a shelter," Bucky said after a beat.

"That's even worse than an orphanage," he groaned. "The hair, it's just an inconvenience for regular people, but - I didn't know it would be such an issue. Matt's more important to me than the dog and I feel like shit about it."

Bucky snorted and Steve glanced at him to gauge his mood. "Are you mad you haven't been here before?"

"Nah, I saw a guest room with my name on it," Bucky winked. "It's only a few stops down the subway line to the place Sam and I are renting. If you spring for the pet deposit and vet bill, I'm sure I can find a way to antagonize Sam into agreeing to take your dog."

"You're living with Sam? Here?"

Bucky shrugged. "I miss the city. Sure, I'll miss the goats and Wakanda, but this is home. I figure I can watch Sam's back since you're finally tired of chasing down bad guys."

He turned and pulled Bucky into a hug. "You totally have a guest room with your name on it, soundproofed and everything. Whatever you want - more if you take the dog."

Steve could hear Bucky's grin over his shoulder. "You haven't even named it, have you?"

"It was a disaster, Matt was so disgusted but he tried so hard not to show it. His friend had to explain it to me," he admitted.

Bucky pulled back and leaned their foreheads together. "Your dog problems are so much easier for my mental health than aliens that can turn the world to dust."

"I'm really bad at being a civilian," Steve whispered.

"You cooked a four course meal on a barbecue grill and served it on antique china on your roof. Maybe you're not a normal civilian but you're not bad at whatever you're trying to do. We're both doing okay," Bucky said and Steve almost believed it.

"You don't hate my boyfriend?"

"Not yet. Give me time, but he makes you smile and Natasha seems to think he'll be able to protect you," Bucky said.

Sam stuck his head out of the door. "What's going on out here?"

"Just telling Stevie how much I hate dogs when he asked me if I could take it off his hands," Bucky said with a smirk, pulling away.

Sam smiled. "Cap, I'd be honored to adopt your puppy."

"Buck said you guys are getting a place nearby," Steve laughed when Bucky winked as he backed away.

"Yeah, and Peter told us about your rules, no landing on the roof unless it's an emergency because you're not a pit stop and this is a good, respectable neighborhood," Sam said.

 

* * *

 

Jessica slammed into the house, probably looking for a drink or a fight. Matt wasn't home yet so Steve hoped he could settle her nerves until he arrived.

Steve wasn't sure he was ever going to impress Matt's friends. "Upstairs if you're lonely," he called down. He had too much paint to leave the room yet.

"Whiskey?" she yelled back.

"We restocked your cabinet, use a glass!"

She had a coffee mug so he counted it as a win when she slumped into one of the chairs by the window of his studio.

"Am I allowed to ask if you're okay?" Steve hesitated. He didn't know her tripwires.

"I kissed James. He got weird, it got weird and he told me to ask you because he wasn't going to talk about it," Jessica muttered. Pout. She was pouting. Huh.

"What happened? I honestly didn't know he'd made a move yet," Steve replied.

"He didn't, I did. I know he's got trauma, but the chemistry's there and he knows I can handle his super-strength because he's seen me fight," Jessica said. "But he's like, 'gotta take it slow' and 'no sex until you talk to Cap'," she mimicked.

Steve put aside his brush. "Firstly, if it's just sex for you, I'm going to veto the conversation as none of your business. But if you're his friend - "

"Fuck you, I'm here, aren't I?" she snapped.

True. "You know the story, right? Brainwashed, mind-controlled, programmed to kill hundreds of people over the past 60 years between deep freezes?"

She blinked at him. "But he's okay now."

"He's better," Steve agreed. "But he's never going to be completely okay. They got out most of the triggers but he still thinks of his head like a minefield. Some things are still miswired." He hesitated, unsure of how far to explain but Bucky had sent her here. "Pleasure was not allowed, he probably hasn't had consensual sex in a very long time and last I heard, he was having equipment trouble."

"Jesus fuck, Steve, you can't say shit like that," she blanched.

"They did horrible things to him and for a long time, they only brought him out to make him do horrible things to others. He's not in a place right now to offer anyone a roll in the hay. Maybe some consensual cuddling or making out, probably without the arm because that's a whole other set of trauma, but - he has a therapist or shaman that he talks to about it in more specific terms. He never has to talk about it unless he wants to."

"I fucked it all up, I thought - "

Steve wiped his hands clean before reaching over to pat her shoulder. "He didn't snap your neck or cut you, so you couldn't have fucked up too badly. He pointed you here instead of telling you to go fuck yourself so he must think you're trustworthy."

The door slammed again and he winced at the abuse his poor hinges were getting today. "Steve, I brought some boxes of wine and - oh. She's here."

"Boxed wine?" Jessica asked after a beat.

"Don't judge me in my own house," Steve said. "I'll take it to the roof, don't touch my stuff." Bucky stuck his tongue out and lowered his head as he turned to Jessica.

He was surprised when Bucky joined him on the patch of faux-grass without his mech arm and Jessica followed with plastic cups.

"She thinks you get the boxed wine so she can't drink straight from the bottle," he said.

"The wine's not for her, it's mine," Steve replied. "She's got whiskey."

"Change of plans. We're going to have a picnic on your roof while you play wingman two floors away," Bucky said.

"Whose plans are changing since this whole day has been uninvited guests and retracted offers of wine..."

"Thanks, I'll make it up to you," Bucky added under his breath.

Jessica avoided his glance but Steve saw her blush anyway. "Yeah, you will, with more wine."

He was glad Bucky was making connections but he hoped they knew what they were getting into.

 

* * *

 

"It's like living in the dorm again, there are always people over and - "

Steve scanned Matt's face and wondered how much worse he wanted to make it.

"Steve."

"Go on, finish your excuse, I'm ready for it," he replied. "Or you could just tell me the truth."

Matt reached over and splayed his hand across his chest. "I don't think this is working for me. I love you, I just don't think I can live here."

Steve didn't bother to hide his expression but he hoped Matt couldn't tell how upset he was. He thought things were going well, he thought -

"It's not you, it's the whole shared space. I don't want to lose what we have, I - "

He took a deep breath. "I got rid of the dog and I know I'm messy as hell - "

"It's not about the mess, you're not messy - Foggy says you're a neat freak and he's living with Marcy," Matt said. "I still need to be Daredevil and I need to be able to monitor Hell's Kitchen more than a few hours a night. I thought I was ready to give it up, to be your boyfriend and - "

Steve placed his hand over Matt's on his chest. "I can't be mad at you, but I feel like shit for not realizing you were unhappy."

"I am happy - I'm just not ready for this. Tell me what you're thinking."

"I think I dragged you into this because I'm terrified of being alone. I should have tried living on my own before I invited you in. I should have - "

"Stop. This isn't your fault. You've gone above and beyond to make me comfortable - the silk sheets, the organic food and unscented everything - but you have this whole, huge circle of friends and it's like I'm drowning in sensory hell," Matt confessed.

"This sucks. How do you want to do this? Do you have a place?"

Matt hesitated and Steve's heart dropped. Of course he did. He would have been prepared before he brought it up.

"Yeah, Danny kept the rent up on my place when I was dead and never stopped paying. It's got new furniture but...I'm sorry. This doesn't mean - "

"I think it does. Thor's in town next week so we - I'm already expecting a lot of guests," Steve said. "I can't be sneaking off to your house and pretending like it's normal. I can't - we should just take a mulligan."

"You don't want to try and figure it out?"

Steve kisses his palm. "You're never going to be able to leave Hell's Kitchen and I'm never going to be able to turn my friends away from my door. We were great friends with benefits once, so after a three month waiting period, maybe we can try that again."

"It's not a mulligan. I refuse to call it that. I'm keeping a suit here and the middle two drawers are mine."

 

* * *

 

“Um, so, I know the whole friendship confidentiality rules are different now, but – fuck, you know your assassin ex is sleeping in Cap’s guest room, right?”

Matt reached out to steady the suddenly spinning room. “ **What**?”

Jessica snickered. “ _Right_. Because he seems to think you’re okay with it but the rest of us know the whole reason you moved out was so she wouldn’t find out about him.”

“Are you saying Elektra – “

“Is totally eating dinner every night with Steve and obsessing over his paintings and making everyone uncomfortable. Cap loves her, the sappy old bastard.”

“No,” he whispered and Jessica finally caught on that he was slipping into full-on panic. “Why would she even – “

“Personally, I haven’t gone near the bitch but Bucky and Nat say she’s finding her way out of the darkness - looking for her humanity, whatever the fuck that means.”

“I have to – “

“Just call him, Murdock,” she sighed.

Fuck that, he needed to see for himself. “I’ll call him on the way.”

"Fine, get your shit, we're already late for dinner."

 

* * *

  

"James and I used to fuck," Natasha said. Steve put down his silverware and leaned back, preparing for tonight's round of ' _who can we scare away from the table with uncomfortable conversation_ '.

"Oh. Sure," Bruce fell for the bait, flushing but Jessica glanced directly at Steve. The woman was still more Matt's friend than Steve's but she'd caught on to his utter lack of a poker face.

Bucky scowled. "Are we talking about this now?"

"This isn't about you, or you," she replied, cutting her eyes at Bruce and then Bucky before settling back on Elektra, still eating demurely at Matt's left. "We were critiqued and taught the correct way to please a mark."

"Our training was not the same. We are not the same," Elektra replied evenly. "My current condition is much less similar than you think."

"Elektra," Matt murmured but she only tilted her head. "Why are you really here?"

"I was curious. The events several months back were not foretold by any prophecy I could find. I was dust, finally - " she said, looking at Matt with a sudden flash of emotion. "But then I find myself restored. Again." She took Matt's hand and pressed it against her breast and Steve tensed instinctively - what if he'd been wrong and she was here to hurt them - but she continued. "The black of the Hand's curse fills my veins and I still have no soul, no heartbeat."

"You mean, you're dead?" Bruce blurted out.

"Ninjas dragged her out the grave and dosed her with dragon blood. You guys knew that, right?" Jessica blinked at them. "How did you not know that?"

"It wasn't important, Matt said she snapped out of the whole homicidal rage thing and was okay now," Steve replied when Natasha, Bucky and Bruce glared at him.

"I am a vessel for the Hand. Or they intended me to be. They are all dead now, I serve no masters," she said after a beat, returning her attention to her meal.

"All of them? Even the old lady?" Jessica asked.

"I pierced her spine and forced her to watch as I painted the walls with the blood of her underlings. She was flayed open like a suckling pig before I allowed her the mercy of death," Elektra replied. She hummed. "But as Steven said, I am okay now."

Bruce huffed thoughtfully. "Sure."

"Why?" Matt asked suddenly. "Why would you - "

"I enjoy killing, Matthew, don't be facetious. It's why we can never be together - we've always disagreed on that particular point," she added toward Steve. "But before he gets indignant, I have only taken joy in killing those that do harm to others since my most recent resurrection."

"That's good. Stick with that," Bucky said.

Steve gave her a thumb's up and she flipped her hair, but he hoped she was amused over annoyed.

"Why'd you come here?" Matt asked, painfully soft.

"Because Matt's the only thing that feels the same from the before and after," Bucky answered when Elektra hesitated.

She nodded. "Steven is a talented artist and caught me looking at his work. He welcomed me to visit as long as I intended no malice."

Matt's head snapped up. "Wait - you broke in the house, she got in the house?"

"There were other people awake at the time," Steve frowned.

"You have spoken of me kindly, to Steven, at least," she smirked to Matt. "There were creatures here without heartbeats and they were treated as human - "

"They're aliens, not 'creatures', I don't think that's polite," Steve interrupted.

Bruce patted his hand. "Nat started this by being impolite, we're all friends here."

"You got curious and broke into my boyfriend's house," Matt said flatly.

Elektra smiled. "Without malicious intent, that's the part that matters. I left the premises when the Iron Fist visited, barefoot like a filthy toddler without manners...I cannot deny an urge to see him bleed."

"Time out. Danny's been through a lot and people should give him a break," Steve cut in.

"I'll get dessert but I'm not losing the round of 'scared away from the table'," Bruce said.

Elektra daintily dabbed at her lips with the cloth napkin. "I am glad to keep your ex-boyfriend company while you are 'forever alone' in your batcave."

"Regardless of what some martyrs and overprotective assholes like to think - people can get better on their own. I don't think she means any harm," Bucky said suddenly.

"Um. Do you want us to try and figure out what's going on in there?" Bruce asked, motioning to her chest as he placed the red velvet cake carefully on the table and passed out the tiny plates.

"What will you do with what you find? Will you destroy me?" Elektra asked, providing her own knife to start slicing the cake.

"They let that Loki guy live because his brother vouched for him. Keep up with the 'no malicious intent' and you should be fine," Jessica muttered.

"You can't be mean to Danny," Steve added.

Matt lowered his head to his hands.

"If I have overstayed my welcome, I will go but I have no ill intentions toward any of your companions. I quite enjoyed Nebula's company," Elektra said with a tilt of her head.

"It's my house, you're still welcome," Steve said. Matt didn't count since he didn't live here anymore.

"Can I speak to you privately?" Matt asked Steve, standing up abruptly.

"I want cake, can we argue after?" Steve replied but Matt had already snatched his wrist and pulled him toward the hallway.

"If he's leaving the table first then I win again," Natasha called after them.

"She can't stay here, she - you can't trust her, she's - " Matt blurted out, shoving him into the first room they came to.

"Matt, you don't live here anymore. You don't have any say about who I invite to dinner," Steve said. "And I don't want to fight with you while I have company."

"The whole reason I moved out was so she wouldn't find out - "

Steve sighed, all hope of make-up sex wiped out. "So you lied."

"I was afraid she'd come for me," Matt said. "And she did - "

"And it's fine," Steve replied. "The end of the world fucked with all of us in different ways, even her. You should have told me the truth."

"She's dangerous, Steve."

"Maybe I would have believed you if you'd explained it to me before. I thought we were doing this thing without lies this time," Steve replied. "I - I'm going to eat cake, but I think you should go after dinner."

Matt flinched. "You're kicking me out?"

"You were right, this wasn't a mulligan, this was a full-on failure. I hate silk sheets. I like apple shampoo and I'm having that stupid bathtub removed because it gives me hives and I'm going to turn the radio to a different station in every room - " Steve snapped.

"Okay, time out because this is getting messier by the minute, come on, Cap. I got a box of wine with your name on it," Natasha said, stepping into the room through the door they'd left open. "Ellie wants to talk to you, Murdock."

"I'm going to take up smoking again," Steve muttered.

"No," Matt protested.

"Time out, come on," Natasha tugged him forcefully into the hall.

 

* * *

  
"Can you watch the house next week?" Steve asked. "I'm going out of town."

Jessica drained her coffee mug and switched it out for a fresh one since he was in full 'suck up' mode. "Why me?"

"Sam and Bucky are on call and it's - we're saying goodbye to the Guardians. Thor and I are going to have thunderstorm sex and the lightning is going to charge the batteries on the spaceship. Tony explained it better," Steve said, avoiding her gaze.

"Oh. You and Thor are a thing now?" she asked. Matt would be even more mopey when he found that out.

"Rebound buddies," he replied. "You've got superstrength, you know how it works - and he really does fuck like a God."

The image was inspiring and distracted her for a moment.

"Bucky said things were going better for you guys."

"I don't know if it's going to work out long term," she said. No use lying about it. "I drink too much and he's too hellbent on redemption...but we're good. He's good for me. I'll make sure he's steady before I let anybody else get in his pants," she added.

"Fair enough," Steve smiled. "You're good for him, too."

"Have you talked to Matt?" she asked since they were already talking about boyfriends.

"I sent him a text. Told him that I needed to learn how to be alone before I brought anyone else into my life," Steve said.

"And having rebound God sex is helping you with that?"

Steve shrugged. "It's not a relationship, he's not moving in with me or joining my life full time. I feel stupid, you know? I was happy - I thought things were working but I'm oblivious."

"I think you went from fuckbuddies to married way too fast. Plus, you're too much alike - wailing about truth and justice unless it's concerning one of your personal loopholes," Jessica said. "We've all got blind spots."

"So you'll watch the house? It'll be one of the first times no one's here and I'll have to lock it down. The roof garden is a problem my reinforced windows can't solve."

"I'll keep my eyes on it. Are you going to end the detente with Murdock any time soon?"

"It's my first actual breakup, Natasha said that gives me rights to be dramatic this time," Steve sighed. "But I'll answer, maybe, if he calls while I'm gone."

"Anything to keep him from growling at everyone. I think he made Danny cry yesterday and that's my job."

"You and I have to find things to talk about that don't include boys," Steve said.

 

* * *

 

Matt smiled to himself when the phone buzzed in his pocket and stepped into his office.

"There is a such thing as too many flowers." Steve's voice was thick with sleep.

"Good morning," he said.

"Purple hyacinth."

"You answered the phone so I hope you understood my intention," Matt said.

"I needed time to think," Steve yawned. "You hurt my feelings."

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

He took a breath. "Heard they've been having some bad thunderstorms in Finland."

Steve snorted and Matt wanted to punch Thor in the face but he actually got an answer. "Didn't work out. Vision decided he wants to go to space for a while and Wanda flipped out and things were said that can't be unsaid."

"Are you okay?" Matt asked instinctively.

"Wanda's talking to me again, so that's good. But everybody's upset about Vision. I get his reasons, I think we all do; but he should have talked to her first," Steve said.

He didn't know enough of the details to make an argument and considering his groveling status, it was better that he kept quiet.

"You don't have to send me flowers," Steve said.

"Can we talk in person when you get back?"

"Wanda's going to be staying with me for a while."

"Why does that impact us seeing each other?" Matt asked. "Is she going to zap me with her brain?"

"Stop listening to whoever told you that. I just want to hang out with her while she's not dust and speaking to me. I missed her. I miss you, too, but her ex fucked off to space and mine's sending me flowers."

"Bad timing all around. But I'm not going to stop trying to make things right between us. I miss you madly, Steve," Matt said. "I'd really like to see you when you get home."

* _'Cap, Wanda incinerated all the flowers in the hotel and we've been asked to vacate the premises, stat or they're calling the cops._ * Matt wondered if Tony was going to bill him for the damages considering his frazzled voice.

"I'll think about it," Steve answered Matt's question. "I need to go, so, bye for now." The phone went dead but Matt was going to consider it a step forward instead of back.

 

* * *

 

"Thor says you are stupid and loyal and reckless to a fault, but flawed in your opinion of our Captain," Wanda's voice drifted into the kitchen. "Give me one good reason I should let you in the house."

"I love him. And I brought pie from - "

Steve reached the foyer before Wanda could destroy the pie that he could smell immediately when he was within sight of it. "Delany's," he finished.

Wanda flicked her gaze at him, disappointed at his utter weakness for good pie.

"Hey. Peter told me you were back in town and invited me over to help him train after school. He said your gym was reserved for him," Matt said.

"You're manipulating your way into his home like a stalker," Wanda decided, swirling her magic in her palms.

Matt flinched slightly and Steve wondered what Wanda's magic 'looked' like to him. "Stand down, Wanda. He's my friend, stop being weird," Steve said. "What kind of pie?"

"Blueberry. Have you trained with Peter? Because I have no idea what I'd do with that in a fight," Matt said as Wanda reined her magic back in.

"Be friends with Steve before you crawl into bed with him again and maybe I'll train with you both," Wanda said.

"I'm working on it," Matt replied, holding the pie out to Steve. "Can we talk now?"

"Come in, I'm running on fumes but I'm too wired to sleep yet, I hate planes," Steve muttered.

"You didn't fly commercial, did you?" Matt asked.

Steve shrugged, taking the pie back into the kitchen as Wanda spoke for him. "Tony flew us on one of his private jets but I monopolized his attention. I was not very nice to him after my resurrection, so we needed to reconnect."

Matt gave him a concerned look that Steve didn't appreciate. He was jet-lagged, not emotionally unstable.

"I'm not here to push. I just wanted to be with you while I could," Matt said. Low blow. "Have you been to your room yet?"

"No, Bucky put my stuff away. Why?" he asked.

"If you'll excuse us a moment, Wanda, I'll have him right back for you." Matt took his hand, loosely lacing their fingers and guiding him up the stairs to the master bedroom.

"What's this about?" Steve asked.

"It's about me putting forward more effort in this relationship. You've made a lot of edits in your comfort zone for me and it's never been a balanced return for you. So I called in some favors. Pro bono means I have a lot of favors," he added.

There was a new, supersized canopy bed with button controls. Matt led the way over and patted the mattress. "It's like one of those sleep number things but with all the perks. Warming layer for when you have the ice dreams, weighted flannel blankets when you need a cuddle and your bed's empty. The canopy muffles outside noise, depending on the setting and allegedly you can change the color of the curtains. It also lets you put different sheets on the extra side, in case your partner is particular about thread count."

"You didn't have to - " Steve started.

"I know, I wanted to. This is your home, you tried so hard to make it mine that you didn't make it yours," Matt said. "You take care of other people, but you don't take care of yourself. You are the best housewife, Steve."

"Shut up," he snorted. But he sat down on the bed. Firm but not hard, soft but not too slippery to slide off.

"You make gourmet meals every night, keep the place spotless and make your friends follow ridiculous rules just to make me happy. Steve. Elektra has destroyed everything good in my life, multiple times - I - I know things are different now but I couldn't risk her getting to you. I know I should have told you," he added quickly, taking his hand. "I always seem to make the wrong choice when it comes to her."


End file.
